Forbidden Things Are Forbidden
by CrystalFNfire
Summary: Legolas is in love, but with a servant girl. How will he break the story to his father? With the help of his friends Aragorn, Ranien, and Laine, he is sure to get into more trouble than good. Sequel to Unwelcome.
1. Prologue

A/N: As you may have noticed, this story has been retouched, just like the others in this trilogy! This one, however, has remained the most faithful to the original story line.

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Prologue**

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Walking with Ranien among the gardens of wild flowers in Mirkwood was one of the things that Laine enjoyed most. The elf would point out the names of the flowers to her in Elvish, and gradually, she would begin to learn them. Usually, they were alone in the gardens, but today, they had company.

"That flower is a cousin to the _élanor_ that grows in Lothlórien, though you can tell if you look closely that the petal shapes are slightly different," Ranien was just through explaining one of the flowers. Laine, who had heard of the _élanor_, bent closer to see, leaning over the small stone wall about four feet high that was used to stop weeds from getting into the gardens.

Her hair, elbow-length, dragged over, and she tucked the stray lock behind her ear. "It is beautiful. Just like the flowers in Lórien," she smiled, and looked back up at the elf that was standing next to her.

_Like you_, Ranien thought, and the words were at the tip of his tongue, when he suddenly sensed a movement to his right. Knowing that he would startle the girl, he slowly turned himself around, but Laine sensed his body tense. "What is it?" she asked, dropping her voice to almost a whisper. She had had experience with elven ears before and she knew that he could hear her.

Laughter rang from the other side of the garden. The two edged a little to the left to see the figures more clearly. "It is the prince," Ranien answered. "And Melian," he added in embarrassment. He had not meant to intrude upon his liege's private moment with an elf-maid. He quickly turned and went back to staring at the flowers intently.

Following his lead, though a little more slowly, Laine turned as well. She was a good friend of the Mirkwood prince, and knew that he was with someone he had been seeing for the last couple of weeks. "They are only talking," she told the other elf, seeing that his cheeks were slightly red. Elves did not blush easily.

"It is our custom," Ranien said slowly, "that the love life of the royal family not be something that is shared by the public. The prince obviously thought that he and Melian were here by themselves."

Laine gave Ranien a strange look. That explanation was clearly not the end of it. "Ranien, _why_ is Legolas's relationship with that maid so secret? During the festivities, the elves all dance with each other, and Legolas does as well. There is nothing secret about how he likes Melian. Will you mind telling me why this cannot be talked about?"

The elf gave the human a long look. She looked back at him, staring him right in the eyes, which Ranien knew was not an easy thing for a human to do. "Their relationship is forbidden," he finally answered, knowing that the girl would not stop asking until she got the answer. "The king must not know about it. The public must not know about it. To them she is a mere trinket in the prince's eye. It is a secret known to you, me, Aragorn, Legolas, and Melian."

Laine was still very confused. There seemed to be so many elvish customs, rules and laws to go by that she just could understand why all of them were necessary. "Why is it forbidden?" she asked again.

"Because," Ranien answered, "Legolas is the Crowned Prince of Mirkwood. Melian is a servant girl. Those are two very different ranks. They cannot mix, which is why this secret must go no further. Forbidden things are forbidden."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1

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Standing in the doorway of the library, Laine watched Aragorn, as he study a map of Gondor and Mirkwood, and Legolas, as he paced back and forth. Ranien was sitting in a library chair, pretending to study a book. The prince had posted servants at the corners of the floor and commanded that no one come up without the prince's consent. The human girl was only listening to the talk that was going on because she had been part of the Fellowship and was trusted by all of them.

At the moment, the talk was becoming an argument.

"Legolas, this is completely out of line," Aragorn was saying, finally looking up from his map. "Yes, she seems right and fitting, and yes, she is beautiful, but for Elbereth's sake, she is a servant girl! Your father will never hear of this."

The elven prince scowled. It was not like him to be in a bad mood, but the king of Gondor's constant remarks about his life was grating on his nerves. "You are certainly one to talk!" he could not help but say. "Marrying an elf. And not just any elf, your foster father's daughter!"

Ranien raised his head and gave Laine a look.

Aragorn reared at the comment, but another look from the girl silenced him. He knew that he had to hold his temper if he wanted to talk sense into Legolas, one of his good friends and very much trusted partner in battle. However, he could no longer think of anything comforting or reasonable and kept his mouth shut.

"What he is trying to say is," Laine cut in, "that perhaps you should rethink this. Melian is a wonderful person, but will your father really let you go on with all this? We are trying to help you, not hurt you." The human girl was one of his best friends, but now, Legolas could not stand this talk coming from her.

"You are supposed to help me with this, Laine!" he cried exasperatedly. "That is the entire reason I have asked you all here." He glared at her, and she took a step back, not use to this change in the prince's temper. Usually, he was almost taciturn, rarely speaking unless spoken to. She tried to look back up at him, but she found that she could not do so.

"Enough of this," Ranien suddenly cut it. "Legolas is right. We are not here to tell him how bad his choices are or what he should do instead. We are faced with a problem, and we are here to solve it. The main question remains, how do we tell this to the king?"

"Thank you, Ranien," the elven prince said, finally having someone who understood him. But no one spoke, none of them knowing what to tell the prince.

Finally, however, Laine, who was somewhat better than the others with her tongue, though she usually chose not to be, carefully answered, "I could speak to your father about this, Legolas. I believe I may be able to persuade, if you'll let me do it." She walked toward the center of the discussion and leaned against the armrest of Ranien's chair.

The elven prince gave her a look. "You are able to do so?" he asked, still a little suspicious. "You could talk my father into this? Will there be deception in this?" The last question was asked with caution. Legolas did not lie, and was well known for being truthful in all of his actions.

Laine shook her head a little, and looked at Ranien for support. However, the elf could not give her any, as he did not know what she was talking about. "I will talk to him about this. I know he does not even know I am here, but we have to take this chance that he will accept me as your friend. And I will ask you again, can I do this?"

The elven prince forced a smile on his face. "Do I have a choice?" he asked, remembering the past. "You will do this even if I want it or not." He shook his head slightly, and gave Ranien a knowing look. He knew his secret, and so did Aragorn, though no one was about to reveal it to Laine.

The girl shrugged, but returned the rueful smile. "I do not know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. But in any, I _could_ not do it. That would happen if you can forget about Melian and continue with your life, but… that does not exactly seem possible at the moment, does it?"

If her tone had not been so obviously in jest, and if Legolas had not known her well enough, he would have called her out on a duel right then. That would of course, have resulted in both of them meeting a very bad end that neither of them wanted to have.

Indeed, at the moment, Laine could see the muscles in the elf's face tighten and see something in his neck twitching. Immediately, she apologized, though it did not do much good, as the damage had been done. She again leaned on Ranien's chair, ready to jump behind him if Legolas attacked.

However, Aragorn stood in their way, and trying to stop the tension that was going on between the two best friends, said, "So it is settled then? Laine, you will speak with King Thranduil of this. Ranien and I will be there to if he does not wish to speak with you at first. Legolas, you will come in at the end of the conversation and tell him the truth of you and Melian. Clear?"

Everyone nodded, though Legolas still gave Laine a dark look. "Yes," he said, a threatening look directed at the human girl. She swallowed hard and did not see the look that Ranien gave the elven prince, though Aragorn did.

"When will this be?" Ranien asked, fist clenching because of Legolas's look. The tension was thick between the small group of friends was so tangible even the human girl could feel it. She saw Ranien's hand clenching, and immediately, put a tender but firm hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to calm him.

"Tomorrow," Aragorn decided. "The king will be at the Great Hall to dine with us. It is then that Legolas can invite us to the Head Table." Laine gasped suddenly, and crossed her arms in distress.

"Women are not allowed at the Head Table," she said suddenly, reminding the others of the fact. "This plan will not work unless Aragorn or Ranien speaks to the king. Or shall change some laws?"

Again, she had jested, trying to cut the tension, but only received a threatening look from Legolas and a shake of the head from Aragorn. Breathing out in frustration, she retreated into silence, deciding that right now would not be the best time to let her tongue run off with her. "Then forget the idea of tomorrow at the Great Hall. We will have to catch Father when he is free of his work," Legolas spoke. "I happen to know that in a week, he will be going on a hunt with many others, including me. We could tell him about it then. He loves hunts and will be in a good mood."

However, Aragorn shifted in his position and went back to his seat, studying the maps. His eyes moved upward, looking at the prince. "No. Next week is too far away. Things are too risky. Any time sooner?"

Laine shrugged, but stood from her place at the armchair. She looked around the library, eyeing all around, at the multi-colored spines of books that she knew she could never read. Torches were lit on other walls, and she wondered why there were fires in a room full of books. The curtains were drawn, as it was dark outside, but also because they wanted no one to know of this conversation.

"We could still use the Great Hall idea," she finally opened her mouth. "I do not have to speak to your father at the table. Ranien or Aragorn could do that. I will just have to tell you what to say."

Ranien was already getting nervous at the thought of holding the secret meeting for too long. Any time now, Thranduil or one of his trusted advisors would come up and find them. "Yes. That would do," he answered quickly, and nervously looked around as if he would find the king looking down upon him. "If I may, I would like to adjourn this meeting now."

Aragorn also nodded. "Yes. This has gone on for far too long. Someone may become suspicious. Legolas, you are sure that the servants you appointed can be trusted?" The prince nodded silently, gazing into the fire of one of the torches. "Then let us all go. Tomorrow evening. Ranien, you can speak with King Thranduil. You were always a favorite of his as a child. Laine, you tell him what to say, and Legolas and I will help him."

The girl nodded, understanding her duty, but shivered at the thought of breaking the news so soon. "Oh, and Laine," Legolas looked over to her. "Check on Melian for me. She is in the second floor—"

"Yes, yes," she cut him off with a smile. "I know. It has only been the fifth time you asked me to do it?" He wanted to scowl, but could not at the broad grin on the girl's face. She had an air around her that made impossible for anyone to be angry with her for long. He smiled, and walked out the door with Aragorn.

Ranien stayed behind, realizing that he was alone with Laine, who did not see the opportunity the same way as he did. She hesitated for a second, ran a hand through her hair, and prepared to walk out after them. Ranien was close behind, and brushed against her arm intentionally. She turned back and gave him a perplexed look, and kept on walking. "I will come to your room," she told him, "and tell you later, but first, I must go Melian or Legolas will murder me."

She headed to the left of the double doors of the library, which Ranien held open for her, and he watched as she descended the stairs. He had had a chance to tell her right then, but he had not. He felt as if he were a coward, and left, shaking his head and cursing at himself for his weakness.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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Laine silently descended to the servant quarters and knocked twice on an oak door that bore a shiny brass knob on one side. She had been there five nights in a row, and had come to know Melian quite well. Personally, she could see why Legolas loved her; Melian was sweet-tempered, intelligent, and had a good sense of humor.

The door was opened silently, and she was ushered in by a beautiful elf-maid, who could have passed for a princess, though her clothing told otherwise. She was greeted courteously, as a friend, and sat in a chair on the right side of the small room.

"Good evening, Mel," Laine greeted her with the nickname she had made for her. "How are you doing?" The elf sat on the bed with her hands folded. "Legolas sent me—"

"Yes, yes," Melian rolled her eyes. "I know. This is the fifth night in a row?" They exchanged a laugh, and Laine quickly explained that she had said almost the exact same thing to the elf.

For the servants' quarters, the room was not bad; but then, elves did not treat servants badly. The room was small but cozy, with a good size fireplace and a bed near it. There was comfortable chair and table to the left of the head of the bed, made of soft wood, and at the end of the bed was a washbasin with a chest filled with clothes. Other than that, the room was bare, though Melian had tried to furnish it with a rug at the center of the room. Everything was altogether elvish, with elven carvings on the wood and fireplace.

"I have already talked to him about you," she told Laine. "You most certainly do not need to come here every night and check on me. I do very well without these nightly check-ups, though I do not mean to offend you."

Laine shrugged. "He is a little overprotective, but that is not bad. I think he just cares too much about you, that is all."

"It would do well if he would let me breathe on my own," she rolled her eyes, but smiled, showing that she was jesting. Being a servant girl, her language was not at all to the likes of the crude vocabulary of the other cooks and handmaidens. "Though, I should say that I am altogether flattered that the prince of Mirkwood seems to lavish so much attention on me."

Laine laughed a little. "You should be. Wait until I tell you about some of the practical jokes he played on me when we were traveling. You will be grateful to know that he loves you." Melian raised an eyebrow, giving her a strange look.

"I would actually like to meet this darker side of him. Up to this point, he has only been sweet and beautiful," was all she said. Laine, realizing that she was making the elf jealous, quickly retreated from that issue. Thinking quickly, she tried to bring up another topic that would take her friend's mind off of Legolas for a change. But before she could, Melian rose and smiled. "I am feeling very tired at the moment. Could we finish this conversation tomorrow morning?"

Laine took this as a sign to leave, for she knew that elves did not get tired very easily, and that Melian wanted her to go. "Yes, of course. I was just thinking the same thing," she got up as well. "If you need anything, just come to my room, alright?" Without waiting for Melian to show her to the door, she left, realizing that getting an elf jealous was not really a good thing at all.

Then, remembering that she had to go and speak with Ranien to tell him what to say to King Thranduil, she headed back up the stairs to go to his room. The warriors of the elven city were all given rooms within the underground castle of Mirkwood, but they each had dwellings of their own as well. Many actually slept on flats in trees, much to the likes of the elves of Lothlórien.

The shadows of the torches that lit the halls cast dancing shadows across the walls, giving the place an eerie look. Though Laine knew that elves did not tolerate evil near their homes and that the boogeyman only existed in the minds of children, she could not help but feel slightly terrified of the long silhouettes on the wooden staircase. The steps creaked softly beneath her feet, causing her heart to pound uncontrollably.

Trying to laugh off her fear, she began to softly hum to herself. Not knowing what to hum, she went along with the tune of the first song that came to her mind, which happened to be a lullaby. Making it up to the landing did not help her, and when a pair of arms encircled her waist, she nearly screamed out loud.

Though she did not abase herself so much, she did intake a sharp breath, and tried to squirm her way out of her captor's arms. The grip loosened, and she turned around, ready to fight, adrenaline rushing and blood pounding in her ears.

"Boo," came a familiar voice, and she relaxed her fighting stance. Fear became annoyance, as she swatted friendly out at her "boogeyman." He only smiled. "You were frightened."

"Ranien, you _idiot_," Laine commented, rolling her eyes and punching him in the shoulder. Her heartbeat began to calm and her forehead was no longer dripping with sweat. "Do not ever do that again." The ominous darkness disappeared and the hall came back to normal, with its warm golden glow from the flames.

"You were afraid of the dark?" he taunted, flashing a smile that she could not help but think to be think dazzling. Though she did not want to, Laine forgave him for what he had done. Sometimes, though he was like a brother to her, she could not help but admit that he was very good-looking.

"No. You stay away from me," she replied gruffly, as they made their way to Ranien's room, which was the fourth door upon the right hand side of the wall. Being a warrior, his room was much better furnished than Melian's, though, of course, it did not seem to be as cosy, as he also had another home. Laine did not stay long, as she realized what it would have looked like to someone watching: a girl going into the room of an elven warrior. Surely, there would be rumors if it ever got out.

Quickly, she told him what she had planned in a few minutes and asked him to also repeat certain points to Legolas and Aragorn, wishing all the time that she could be at the table herself, as she had become quite the actress over the years. Actually, she had planned some signals so Ranien could tell her if things were going correctly or not at the table tomorrow, but she had to teach them to him quickly, and in the haste, he barely remembered half of them.

Leaving the room afterward, she bade him good-night and went to her own room as fast as she could, for she was beginning to feel uneasy sitting next to Ranien in the warm glow of the lamp-lit room. Ranien had seemed to be sitting to close to her, and yet, she did not want to push him away. The dark had made her want to lie down on his bed and close her eyes in his warm presence, and she did not exactly want to even imagine what the king would say if he ever found out about something like _that_.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

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The next day, Aragorn, Ranien, and Laine decided to meet in a small clearing in Mirkwood, away from the palace and other elves. However, unfortunately, they seemed to have the same idea of an ideal place to spend the morning as the warriors of Thranduil. All of them had decided to not wear tunics and were now combating or practicing their archery.

Though usually, Laine tried not to notice the looks of men, these elves were absolutely too perfect in physique even for her to ignore. She thought it was a feat to actually be able to walk among them and not just stand, frozen with her mouth open and her tongue lolling out, a pile of spittle on the floor.

Aragorn, being a discerning man, decided to move their little discussion. The three of them made it into some of the more woody parts of the clearing and began to discuss in low voices about Legolas and Melian. Aragorn was first to speak and voice his questions. "Laine, did you instruct Ranien about what to say to Thranduil?" The girl nodded, but did not speak, looking back. "And you are sure it is foolproof?"

Taking one last glance behind her, Laine turned back to her friends, the image of Celebfindel still in her mind. "No," she answered truthfully, and when the man gave her a glare, she quickly added. "Nothing is foolproof, Aragorn. If you were asking for that kind of plan, you might as well go and ask a god, because no living creature in Middle-Earth could do that for you."

Ranien had noticed the girl looking back, and followed her lingering gaze. Directly in its path was the elf, Celebfindel. _She is just staring off into space_, he decided, but another thought trailed naughtily in his mind that she was admiring him. He quickly put that out of his mind, as he knew that Laine was not looking for a man now. However, a bitter jealousy clouded his heart.

Changing the subject, he asked, "So, what were all of you doing here?"

Laine realized that she was nearly drooling looking at Celebfindel and reprimanded herself for being so easily distracted. She knew that the elf was not interested in humans and that she should not be looking for a mate in the first place. She was only nineteen and did not need that kind of attention yet. But, he was incredibly handsome and really, he _did _have nice abdominal muscles. And now… well… here he was, stretching the taut muscles of his chest as he pulled back the elf hair bowstring and fired another arrow into a nearby tree. His blond hair and pointy ears went very well with his amazing torso and, well…

It was only then that she realized that she was drifting off in her own world again, and Aragorn was waving in her face, calling her name. Immediately, she pulled herself back into Mirkwood Forest and blinked away the dazzling lights. "Hmm? I apologize. What?"

Aragorn could not help but smile. "Ranien has been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes. What in the world are you thinking about?"

Having always thought of Aragorn as a father figure, she only blushed and answered truthfully. "You know the elf-maids here. All they can talk about are the warriors and seduction. I got pulled into their conversation and at the moment, I was just checking to see if any of the elves are actually as breathtaking as they say." She rolled her eyes to indicate that they were not, but Ranien thought otherwise.

* * * *

That evening, during supper, Laine sat at her normal table with some of the elf-maids, as Aragorn, Legolas, and Ranien joined the king at the Head Table. It was not called the Head Table for no reason, as it was horizontally placed at the far end of the dining hall where there was a step so it seemed that the table was a foot taller than the others. Actually, this step was so high that a stage would have been a better word.

Thranduil was there, out of the norm, as he seemed to actually have time to dine with his royal family. The entire hall seemed to be on its best behavior as the elves, usually as merry as children, sat upright in their seats, eating their food correctly. Laine was reminded of a schoolroom when a teacher suddenly walked in, whereas just moments before, the children were screaming, yelling, and throwing books at each other.

The king of Mirkwood was sitting down at one end of the table, and because Aragorn was the revered guest, he sat at the other end. Legolas sat at the king's right hand, and Ranien at the left. He had always been considered the second son of the king after his father had died in battle and his mother passed into the Undying Lands from grief. Many other important elves that served the king sat farther down from the table, and Laine could see that Aragorn was politely conversing with one of them.

She was so intrigued by the looks on the elves' faces that she had started to neglect her food, which was not exactly the best it had been all week. Thranduil was still smiling and nodding, so she decided that he had not heard any bad news yet. However, she desperately wished that Ranien would turn and give her a look, a sign, a thumbs up, a wink—anything to tell her that the conversation was going towards a good direction. But, either because the king was taking up all of his attention or that he was too busy concentrating on how to butter up Thranduil, he did not look up once from the Head Table.

Legolas, who was sitting with his back towards her, had not said a thing from what she could see and was at the moment, eating with gusto, or pretending to be. He could not possibly eat at a time like this, as his future depended entirely on Ranien and how well he could wag his tongue. Suddenly, the king's face changed and Laine was so startled, she actually dropped her eating utensil. The king's eyebrows were furrowing!

Ranien seemed to be a little uneasy, and he was speaking rather rapidly from the looks of his mouth, and he was gripping his knife with fervor, or was it all in the girl's imagination? She had not realized that her dropped utensil had spattered that day's dinner into her face and hair until one of her friends pointed it out to her. Even then, she only absentmindedly wiped at her face with her napkin, and watched the action at the Head Table as if it was a suspenseful sport she cared very much about.

Indeed, it was very suspenseful, but she reminded herself that she was _in_ this game, and that she had better start acting before things got too late.

Nearly biting her nails, she watched as the king's eyebrows grew closer and closer together and the food becoming touched less and less. _What, in the name of the Valar, was happening?_

* * * *

"Yes, the existence of dwarves in southern Mirkwood is troubling," Ranien was saying. "But we do have good news, Your Majesty."

"What is that?" Thranduil growled, clearly not taking the news of the dwarves and their near-capture as amusing. He had enough to worry about, and did not need a band of the very race he hated in his forest, no matter how far south.

"They will never trouble us again," his adopted son answered. "They are clearly frightened of the might of the Elves of Mirkwood, and there is no possible way that they may be aiding Dol Guldor. They are dwarves, but not evil."

"Yet," the king mused. "it is not ideal to have _Dwarves—_" he nearly spat out the word "—anywhere in these lands. I will send a band of warriors south immediately and _drive_ them out if I have to." He ground his teeth in frustration, and Ranien's hope of telling a funny story clearly went down the well.

"Really, sire, it is not necessary," the younger elf pleaded, and saw Legolas glare at him out the corner of his eye. The damn prince was not helping at all, pretending to bury his face in his food, Ranien thought nastily, but held his tongue, and looked back at the king. "You see, we were able to teach the dwarves a lesson--" Legolas kicked him harshly under the table, but it was too late.

The king raised an eyebrow. "While in the net?"

"Well, no…" Ranien knew he was trapped. "Ahh… you see…" _Valar damn his mouth!_

"No, I do not see," Thranduil narrowed his eyes. "What are you not telling me?"

Caught between the king and his son, both glaring at him with smoldering eyes, he felt as if he was between the hammer and the anvil, ready to be squashed to pulp. He had no choice but to tell the truth. "Well, we had another with us that was not caught in the net," he tried to tell as little as possible.

Legolas ground his teeth, remembering that his father had no idea that Laine was in Mirkwood. He had written about Aragorn coming, but Laine had joined them at the last minute, and he had had not chance to send another hawk to tell his father of the human girl. Ranien knew this, and if he revealed her presence now, not only he, but the Crowned Prince would be in deep trouble as well.

"Another elf?" the king asked, unnecessarily, for he knew as well as the two others that this person was _not_ an elf.

Ranien gulped. "No, Your Majesty. A… a human." He was hoping that he would ask no more and assume that it was Aragorn, but there was no chance.

"Not Aragorn?"

Ranien gave Legolas an apologizing look, but the prince's face was quite stony. If Thranduil did not kill him, Legolas most certainly would. "Er… no," he said in a small voice. "Another…"

The reaction was even more thunderous than he expected. "_Another human_?" Thranduil's voice was so loud that Ranien cringed into his chair, trying to be as small as possible. Everyone in the Great Hall went silent and turned towards the king, raging at the head of his table. "Legolas!" The prince cringed in much the same way as Ranien and looked at his father.

"Yes, Father," he nearly whispered, very conscious that everyone's eyes were on the three of them.

"What human?!"

"Er… I had no chance to tell you of her, sire. I—"

"_Her?_"

"Uh… yes, lord."

The king seemed to be shameless as he reared up on his only son, unaware that the entire hall had gone quiet and no one was touching their meals. "Well, who is she?"

"I… I am she," a small voice piped up from near the back of the hall, among a table of elf-maids.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4

* * *

**

"I… I am she," Laine stood, deciding to spare her friends from the humiliation that was obviously pulsing through the entire room. She could tell from the faces of the elves, though their expressions were usually very hard to read, that all of them were embarrased.

Legolas and Ranien were embarrassed for being yelled at. Everyone else was embarrassed to see this private commotion brought into public. Heck, even she was embarrassed for her friends, and now, she was embarrassed for herself as everyone's eyes turned to her. In fact, the only person that did not seem to be embarrassed was the king himself.

_I do not see _why_ I should be embarrassed, _Laine thought bitterly as she stared down the length of the hall at the king. _I should be used to all these elves staring at me. After all, it was what they have been doing for as long as I have been here_.

The king studied her intently. "Well, girl, _come here_. Do not just stand there looking more like a dullard than you already do!" he finally said. "Back to supper!" he commanded everyone else, finally noticing that all eyes were on him. The elves reluctantly turned back to their cold food, but Laine could still see them stealing glances at her as she shuffled past them, her heart pounding in her throat.

She stopped at the end of the Head Table, giving Aragorn a _You can now purchase my coffin_ look, but continued when the King harshly barked at her to come closer. She stopped again at the middle of the table, not sure of elvish customs and thinking that being too close to their liege was impolite. She was not rewarded for her pains, as Thranduil rolled his eyes and shouted, "Come, closer, girl. I am beginning to think you are as slow as you look. When I say come here, I mean _here_!"

Laine bit her lip, beginning to think that Thranduil was as haughty as he looked, but then again, she reminded herself, he had been king for longer than she could imagine. She quickly stepped next to Ranien, in front of Thranduil, who eyed her men's dress with a curious eye. This gave her the chance to shoot a black look at her friend, and he gave her an apologizing look, thinking that he was being given way too many for just one supper.

_I am going to _murder _you after this, Ranien,_ she tried to send her thoughts through that look. _And we will see if I _ever_ let you to do anything for me again_.

Though she gave Ranien a sufficient look of revenge, she dared not even peek at Legolas, whom she knew she had failed. Her best friend would not be happy, now that they may have to wait another month or so before they even _saw_ his father again.

"How is it that you, a mere human girl came to…" Thranduil gave his adopted son an amused look, "_teach the dwarves a lesson, _as some put it, when even my son and some of the bravest warriors of Mirkwood were caught in their net?"

Laine had nothing to say to this, not knowing how to address a king, and she had never done so in her life. At least, not formally, she thought. She had known Éomer and Aragorn both at a personal level, and had never gotten use to calling anyone "lord" or "Your Majesty."

"Long story, is it?" the king questioned, the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Well then, sit down, and take your time to tell it." He ordered for another chair to be brought next to Ranien and for another place to be set for her.

The girl could only stare at this, and stuttered as she spoke. "But… I thought… women were not allowed—"

"If you insist on wearing men's attire," the king said impatiently, "then I shall treat you like your clothing. Really, this is not a way to impress someone with your wit."

Laine nearly fell into her chair and thought she was going to melt into Ranien's lap as the king stared intently at her, figuring out her every secret. She hated the piercing gazes of elves, and when one as old as Thranduil so much as looked as her, she got chills down her spine. Now, he was not merely looking at her, but staring right _through_ her.

"I am waiting, oh so enthusiastically, for this story," Thranduil's face was a block of marble, showing no expression whatsoever. This terrified the poor girl even more.

"I…" she was stammering again, and she _never_ stammered. "I was left behind, er… Your _Majesty_." The words sounded strange, rolling off of her tongue like a strange tasting, but not altogether unpleasant, foreign dish. "And I was not in the net, you see." She considered adding another _Your Majesty_ after that, but decided that it would be overdoing it.

"That tells me nothing," the king frowned, and Laine, who had been reaching for her knife, immediately put her hand back in her lap, as she had noticed that it was shaking so hard, she could not control it. Thranduil showed no sign of noticing, but the girl still gulped, looking down at her food.

"I am trained in the ways of combat somewhat," she answered. Her brain was buzzing with a million thoughts a minute, and she felt the blood rush through her ears. _I must look like a tomato_, she thought. _Oh wonderful, another thought to add to my already overflowing collection._ Then, she realized that she had forgotten to add "Your Majesty," but it was too late now to amend her sentence.

As she was frantically trying to figure out what to do, with Ranien and Legolas's eyes trained on her, Thranduil sniffed in disgust. "A _charming_ human friend you have brought, my son," he said mockingly to the prince. "She is so very illuminating that she has managed to avoid my question after _three_ attempts. That is quite the record even for the dullest elf in Mirkwood, is it not?"

Ranien saw the girl's cheeks flush, and remembered that humans were not able to hold back emotions as well as elves. He wanted to reassure her and tell her that the king was jesting, but he could not, with every elf in the vicinity staring at the four of them. "Sire, her story is complicated. Will you not let me--?"

"No, Ranien," the king interrupted him. "If no one has taught this child how to speak, then I shall make it my priority to enlighten her immediately. Say on, human."

The girl noticed very clearly that the king had not asked for her name or even where she was from. Could he be haughty enough to not even care a whit about a friend of his only son? He seemed perfectly poised, sitting in his chair, bringing a roll of bread to his mouth as if he were only mildly interested in the story.

Legolas, on the other hand, was nearly sweating (_How much like a human you have become!_ he thought dejectedly). He was not afraid for Laine, as she had perfectly good table manners, unlike his other friend, Gimli (may the Valar bless the day he invited _him_ to dinner), and he knew that she had enough wit to outlast any man, or even elf, in a heated discussion.

The only thing that he was worried about was his father's imposing presence. Even the best of elves became tongue-tied when Thranduil stared at them with his piercing blue eyes as if angry. At the moment, Laine was getting the full power of his father's gaze, and she seemed to be collapsing under the weight of it all.

"Er…" she bit her lip for the hundredth time, sure that it was a bloody pulp by now, but found that her throat was closing once again. "I… saw an axe and decided to stop whoever was wielding it. The next thing I knew, I was standing in front of a group of dwarves," she managed to gasp out in one breath. Her throat began to relax again as the words came forth, and though her heart was still in her throat, she recounted the entire story to the King of Woodland Realm.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5

* * *

**

King Thranduil raised an eyebrow as she finished, showing the first sign of any expression through her tale. He seemed to consider her account, and a smile played across his lips, contrasting sharply with his high eyebrows. "And you did all this with the heart and courage of a man, did you?" he asked at length in a mocking voice.

Legolas gave his father a pleading look that the king did not seem to acknowledge. Humans did not always understand elvish humor and were usually quick to take offense to it. He knew that his father had been teasing the girl all along, but she was obviously terrified and did not understand his intentions at all.

As the prince thought, the girl flared up, the breath rising sharply in her chest as she jutted her chin out in her own defense. Narrowing her eyes, she said coldly, "One does not need to be a man to have heart and courage, Your _Majesty_." Laine nearly spat the last word with venom, and Legolas, all malice forgotten, gave Ranien a wide-eyed look of fear from across the table.

This was returned with the same, if not more, fervor, and both elves turned to watch the battle that was now starting between Thranduil and Laine.

"Of course not," the king swept away her comment lightly. "But I do suppose a woman's breasts suppresses the heart?"

"As I suppose the equipment between a male's legs suppresses his better judgment!" the girl was livid with anger. She shot Legolas an incredulous look indignantly, forgetting that she was ashamed that she had failed him.

"Only if it is over six inches," the king was on the verge of laughing.

"Then by your words, I would say that yours is well above that!"

"You are quite right," Thranduil could not help but chuckle now.

Laine gasped in horror, realizing exactly what they were speaking of, and looked immediately down at her food, embarrassed, enraged, and flustered at the same time, flushing pink all the way to her ears. Ranien was torn between the urge to laugh out loud and to feel sorry for the poor human girl. One look at Legolas shoveling his soup down his throat, and Ranien was certain that the prince was in the same predicament as he.

"Hmm," Thranduil could not help but push the joke a little further, "I do see how your heart and courage can challenge a man's. After all, you barely have a woman's breasts…"

The girl stood up so fast that her chair flew backwards and nearly fell over. "I am quite finished with this conversation, _Your Majesty_," she said abruptly, and her vision blurred with tears of embarrassment. She had been as flat as a board ever since she could remember, and did not need reminding of it.

She wanted very much to scream and rip out the smug elf's pretty yellow hair and then chop him into a few dozen pieces and serve them along with a few potatoes and turnips. However, she was quite certain that none of the elves would like that very much.

Laine turned to leave, but Thranduil's voice came from behind her, "I have not dismissed you. Sit down."

It was so commanding that even she was surprised when she turned back around, as if another was propelling her body, and sat down in the wooden chair. To reassure herself that she was not being controlled, she sat down with gusto and nearly cried in pain as the wooden chair pushed right back on her bottom.

Resisting the urge to whimper and rub her very sore behind, Laine glared, seething, back at the King of the Woodland realm, who was sitting quite at peace upon his chair, buttering another roll. "I have not finished with you yet," he said serenely, putting the butter knife down. "Now, what is your name?"

At this time, the girl just happened to look over at Ranien and Legolas, and saw, with indignation that they were both contorting their faces into odd shapes, trying not to laugh. Glaring at them both and jutting out her chin even further, she turned on them with finality, squaring her shoulders and deciding that she would never talk to them again.

"Laine," she nearly screamed, as if she was training for boot camp.

"_Your Majesty_," the elven king corrected her with an amused expression, still smiling and holding back a laugh.

She was too angry to think about what she was saying. "You need not address me as Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

Ranien and Legolas exchanged another look, this one of uncertainty. _No one_ had ever talked to the king with such boldness, especially not a human. Despite everything he had said out of mirth before… she could still be in for trouble.

Laine realized what she had said as well, but did not lower her head or even try to look like she was sorry. She was not, and she wanted him to know it. She was sweating, but not from embarrassment or fear as before, but from hot fury and anger. Thranduil met her eyes, but through her anger, she was blind to all else.

Even though she had been afraid of him before, Thranduil's look now instilled no fear in her heart. Instead, it made her even angrier that an elf that had just insulted her so could even dare to meet her eyes and seem angry in return.

They stared at each other for a good ten seconds in which Ranien's spoon clattered uselessly into his bowl and Legolas was sure the top layer of skin on his hands was gone from all the wringing that he was doing. All of them seemed to have forgotten Aragorn, who was trying to keep up his conversation with an elf next to him and to pay attention to the commotion at the other end of the table.

Suddenly, Thranduil laughed out loud, and straining to hear why he was laughing, Aragorn missed what the elf was saying. Very offended, his partner in conversation turned back to his meal, disgruntled.

On the other side of the table, the girl's mouth dropped as the king laughed, and she wanted more than ever to claw his perfect white teeth out of his head. "Very bold, I see," Thranduil smiled for the first time genuinely. "I trust you have never said this to another king before?"

Legolas and Ranien both breathed out so heavily that they instilled a few odd looks from the nearby elves and even Thranduil.

However, intent to ignore her friends, who had betrayed her trust, Laine kept glaring at the King of the Woodland Realm. "No," her vehemence came through in her tone of voice. "And that is because no other king has deserved it."

"Well, I am flattered," the king returned graciously, not at all minding that she was being openly rude. A servant came and cleared up his place when he indicated, and Laine was very glad to see that it was not Melian who was doing this.

Until then, all thoughts of the servant girl and Legolas's love had been completely out of her mind, as she was too angry with the damn king to remember her real purpose. At this, she blushed guiltily and looked down again.

Thranduil must have mistaken this for repentance of her boldness for he said, "You know, you are quite lovely when you blush like that."

Without looking up, a huge enlightenment seemed to fall on Laine's head. She finally realized that through this entire time, the king had not been insulting her but merely teasing her and flirting with her. He had been testing her wit, and she had certainly showed enough of it, along with a large dose of boldness.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6

* * *

**

Legolas was starting to wonder why he had ever brought Laine to Mirkwood. He had thought all was well during supper, when his father seemed to even enjoy teasing the human girl, but now, he had called Legolas to his chamberfor a word.

The prince had only been to his father's chamber twice before in his life: once when he was a very young elfling and had stolen from one of the cooks, and another time only a few years ago when he had been sent, reluctantly, to the Council in Rivendell. Both times, the conversation had been unpleasant, as they resulted in Thranduil raising his voice and Legolas submitting to his father.

Now, sitting on his favorite chair next to his bookshelf and prized hunting weapons, Thranduil studied his son with some amusement, though he made sure that he did not show this in his expression. He became even more interested when he saw his son shuffle beneath his gaze, standing there, with his head bowed and looking at his toes. _No matter how old he gets,_ Thranduil smiled to himself. _He still cannot stand to have me look at him like that._

Finally, when he was sure that his poor son was going to crack under his gaze, he spoke in a steady and even voice. "What strange and intriguing friends you make, Legolas," he intoned.

The prince winced, hearing his father speak like this. It usually meant that something bad was going to happen, if not to him, then to someone else. He could find nothing to say to this, so he only muttered, "Yes, my lord."

"Retorting back at me, sniffing at my attempts to make peace, and even _insulting_ the king of Mirkwood," Thranduil ticked off everything the girl had done during supper.

Legolas desperately wanted to point out that she had not understood that he had been joking and probably took offense to almost everything the king had said, and was only responding with the only way she knew how, but he knew that it was no use arguing with his father.

"Oh yes," the king of Mirkwood remembered. "And _she_ is a woman. A human woman. Now, tell me, Legolas, how many humans, not just women, have I allowed in Mirkwood without my permission?"

"None, sir," the prince answered, gulping.

"And how many human _women_ have I allowed in Mirkwood without my permission?" Thranduil's eyes flashed with fire.

"None, sir," the prince said, wanting to melt into the ground, again wincing under his father's look.

"And how many human women, dressed as _men_, with boisterous behaviors, acting completely unlady-like, have I allowed in Mirkwood without my permission?" Thranduil thundered.

"None, sir," Legolas's voice was little more than a whisper now.

"Then what in the world were you thinking when you brought this _Laine_," Thranduil's eyebrows were now nearly touching his hairline, "into my realm?"

The prince dropped to his knees and tried to look his father in the eye. "Please, Father," he begged. "Forgive me. I was not thinking." Thranduil still looked at him with an unrelenting eye, so taking the hem of his leggings, Legolas proceeded to beg for his friend. "She has no right to be here, but please do not retaliate on her. If you must, I am the one to be punished."

When the king did not respond, Legolas became anxious. "Please, my lord," he said, staring at the ground. "You would like her if you understood her. She would be like another daughter to you, just as Ranien is another son."

The king snorted. "Yes, and if Ranien keeps looking at her the way he does, I believe she _shall_ end up as my adopted daughter whether I wish it or not."

Legolas gasped unwillingly, astonished that his father had been so perceptive as to see his friend's love for the girl. The king saw this and sniffed. "It hardly takes a prophet to see that Ranien is clearly enchanted by that human. If I had not known his mother and father so well, I would be in half a mind to forcefully take this infatuation out of him immediately. But…"

"_Please_, Father!"

However, to his surprise, Thranduil threw back his head and laughed. "Get up, my son," he smiled now, his features softening by the second. "You have done no wrong. There will be no punishment, either for you or for your friend. And as for Ranien, he is not my son, and he is quite old enough to make his own decisions, whether I approve of them or not."

Legolas, however, did not get up. "I apologize for Laine's rudeness, Father. I will speak with her—"

Thranduil shook his head and helped his son to his feet. "You need not. I think I have acquired a fondness for this human girl. I do like someone to test my wit against now and then. I am glad you have are worthy enough to have a friend such as she." He chuckled.

Then, he suddenly became serious. "Her attitude and her strong will… she reminds me of someone else." It was the first time that Legolas had ever seen his father look nostalgic. However, the expression went as fast as it had come. He smiled again, and turned his back to his son and lifted something from his desk. "Here, give her this and tell her that if she would be so gracious as to don it, I may treat her like her attire and not invite her to the Head Table again."

Legolas took one look at what his father was holding out, and gasped. "But Father—"

The king shook his head and silenced his son.

The prince looked down at the parcel in his hand, and remembered it, so long ago, cascading beautifully off of the frame of another elf woman…

* * * *

When the prince went into his Laine's chamber that evening, he was surprised to find Ranien and Aragorn already there. He was even more surprised when he saw that she was trying with all her might to avoid the Ranien's gaze and not speak to him. Ranien seemed both frustrated and hurt by this, and was much relieved when he saw that Legolas had come as well.

It seemed that the conversation had just been begun, as Aragorn was sitting on hard back wooden chair, seeming a little annoyed. He was asking with a tone that sounded like he had asked the same question a few dozen times, "So what _really_ happened between the four of you?"

Ranien looked up, cursing silently, and said exasperatedly, "Why do you not just tell him the truth, Laine?"

At this, the girl shot him a very dirty look, and began to make her bed, which was very lumpy as she had forgotten to do it this morning. "I told you," she said with equal impatience. "We talked, he insulted me, and I do not think he particularly likes me, so you will have to ask about Legolas and Melian by yourselves."

"On the contrary," the prince butted in, still holding the parcel in his hands. "My father is very fond of you. He told me himself."

Laine whirled around at the elf's silent entrance and forgetting that she had vowed not to talk to him for as long as she lived, she grew livid and burst out, "Oh, I am sure he does! In fact, I knew right when he decided to discuss the length of his equipment and the size of my breasts with me!"

Legolas blushed to the roots of his blond hair, despite being the elven prince he was; after all, Thranduil _was_ his father, and he did not want to hear anything about his father flirting or discussion about inappropriate parts of the body.

Aragorn, however, began snickering, and muttered under his breath, "Or the lack thereof." Unfortunately, the girl heard him and punched her pillow under the blankets with vicious anger. One would have thought the bedding had done her a great wrong.

"Well, he wanted to give you this," the prince said through clenched teeth, trying his hardest not to look down at the parcel again, and presented it to Laine. "He said that if you would wear it, he may treat you like your attire and not invite you to the Head Table again."

Laine raised an eyebrow, but decided to look at what her best friend was holding out. It happened to be a dress of elvish make, beautiful and airy, just like the immortal race, laced with silver and green and spun with soft, white silk. It was lovely, and Laine gasped at this expensive gift from an elf that she had disliked from his first words.

But then, she realized that he wanted her to _wear_ it, and she just could not imagine herself in anything of the sort, and wanted to laugh at the image of herself. But despite her first desire, she really did wish to be able wear such a thing, and thinking that she would probably look ridiculous in the dress with her plain looks and straw-like hair, she wanted to cry.

Her mind was so torn between the two emotions that she did both, first breaking out into giggles and then bursting into tears. The two elves only looked at her as if she had gone mad. Aragorn was the only one who saw Laine's plight and grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her until she calmed down and her words were coherent.

"Surely… surely you jest! I cannot wear something like that!" she was still giggling with tears running down her cheeks when Aragorn let go of her. Legolas was still blushing about his father's actions, and was now very embarrassed for his friend's actions. Seeing his blushing cheeks, Laine adopted Gimli the dwarf's accent and approached the elf. "Besides, you'd make a prettier lass than I, with those rosy cheeks, pretty hair, and pointy ears, so why don't you wear it, eh?"

Before Legolas could come up with a fitting retort, Ranien placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It is, after all, a gift from the king. It would please him if you would wear it, and besides—" he stopped and gasped when he got a good look at the package.

"What? What is it?" she asked, her anger at her friends quite forgotten. She and Aragorn saw the look of understanding pass between the two elves and exchanged one between themselves.

"This dress…" Legolas seemed unsure of what to say next. Then in a whisper, he said, "This dress belonged to my mother."


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7

* * *

**

Laine's mouth dropped open and she backed away from the dress so fast that she bumped into Ranien. "Your… your mother?" she asked, before the full meaning dawned upon her. "I cannot wear this Legolas."

The elf shrugged, a gesture he had learned from her. "My father gave it to you. Of course you can wear it. Here." He transferred the light clothing into Laine's hands, but the girl hastily put it on her bed as if afraid to touch the soft material.

Ranien's eyes suddenly brigthened. "That is it!" he was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. "Your _mother, _Legolas! Your mother!" He quickly explained the brilliant idea that had gone through his mind.

"All you have to do, Laine," he finished. "Is to wear the dress and let King Thranduil become a little nostalgic. Here, put it on now and we will see if it needs any modifications."

When he ended his speech, the girl was looking at him with an admiring expression on her face and was beaming. "Ranien, you're a genius!" she cried, jumping into the elf's arms and kissing him soundly on the cheek. She disappeared into the small changing room, leaving a very surprised but pleased Ranien standing next to her bed.

Taking one look at the exhilarated expression on the elf's face, Aragorn laughed out loud. "Sorry to disappoint you Ranien, but she did not mean it. She was just overly excited."

The elf rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yes, I have noticed. She seems to do that a lot these days."

Only Legolas seemed a little disconcerted by the plan.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8

* * *

**

"And that is the plan?" Melian asked. Even in the dim candlelight of her servant's quarters, Laine could tell that she was not impressed. Melian, however, was not insensitive, and saw that Laine's face had fallen from her lack of enthusiasm. "It is not that I do not trust you," she said quickly. "But… but… do you not think that this plan was… too hastily made?"

The human girl shifted her position in her chair and bit her lip. "Mel," she began. "I know it sounds quite stupid, but it _will_ work. Believe me, Melian. Do not give up on you and Legolas." In her earnestness, she took the elf's hands in her hers. "He loves you."

Melian closed her eyes for a second, and in that instant, remembered everything that had passed between herself and the prince. As she remembered, tears welled in her eyes, but she did not let them fall. She nodded convincingly, and the human girl seemed satisfied.

"Alright," she gave her charge, and now, her friend, a small smile. "Trust in us, Melian. Thranduil will not stand a chance."

She got up and left, but not before giving the elf a warm hug. At this, the servant nearly let her tears fall, but she knew she could not if she was to continue with what she believed to be right. Watching the human's receding form, she knew that she had taken too much of the prince, the warrior, and this dear girl's time and energy, which would be wasted on this one meeting with the king.

Falling to her bed, she wept, knowing what she must do.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9

* * *

**

"You look good," Ranien assured the girl, who was barely breathing at his side. This was because she actually could not, wearing a tight corset underneath the beautifully embroidered green and silver dress, breathe. The two were making their way up to the Great Hall.

"Thank you," she said unconvincingly, already out of breath because of these words. _No wonder women at Gondor and Rohan fainted left, right, and center,_ she thought bitterly. _I would too, if I could barely __speak__ without getting out of breath. _

The elf smiled lightly, and the girl tried to relax, though she found that a great feat with something holding her middle together so tightly, she actually had breasts. "Just do not let your mouth run away with you," she tried to smile, but succeeded in only giving him a grimace.

"As long as Legolas mentions his mother, we will be fine," Ranien told her, then ground his teeth. "And if he does not, I shall inflict pain he has never known for dragging us all into this and running away at the last second."

Seeing the stairs in front of her for her to ascend, Laine nearly collapsed. Breathing in short, quick gasps, she gave the elf a smirk. "All you have to do is make him wear a corset," she gasped. Ranien laughed out loud at this and gave her a pained look to show his sympathy.

"Who laced yours?" he asked. "You seem hardly able to breathe."

Laine raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you mean you are supposed to be _able_ to breathe?" she asked with mock surprise. "I thought the point was to make the woman wearing the corset as uncomfortable as possible!"

The elf was still chuckling when he left her to sit at the Head Table with the king. She again sat down with some of the elf-maids who gave some excited comments about her new look. She still felt a great deal uglier than the beautiful elf-maids around her, but was comforted when she saw Melian, who was serving, give her a small smile.

As she expected, she was again invited to the Head Table, despite what Thranduil had said about her donning the dress. Legolas, who had not seen her in the dress before, raised an eyebrow, but turned back to Ranien for his cue.

No one could tell what the King of Mirkwood was thinking, as he said nothing and his face was blank when he began to eat. The girl glanced back and forth between the three elves and tried to eat, but found that the food did not appeal to her at all. _Perhaps it would if I could swallow without bursting out of this dress_, she thought bitterly, and began to play with the food on her plate.

Today, the meal was lighter and focused on the different and exotic vegetables and fruits that grew in Mirkwood forest. Laine wished that she could try one of the yellow berries that looked tantalizingly juicy, but was afraid that if she forced it down her esophagus, she would break through the corset strings. A mental image of the dress exploding into bits off of her and buttons and pieces of silk landing in the surprised elves' plates amused her for a few minutes, but her good mood soon soured when she realized that she could not laugh without actually making this imagination true.

"Do not eat too fast," Ranien said sarcastically when the king was not looking. "You may grow too fat for your corset."

"That is just what I am afraid of!" Laine wailed, without any sarcasm in her voice at all, and speared a large lettuce-looking leaf at the end of her eating utensil.

"Father," Legolas began, nodding at Ranien. "I was wondering something."

Thranduil finished chewing and looked up at his son serenely. All of his charm and merriness from last night seemed to have disappeared with the falling of the sun, and his eyes were grave when he answered. "What were you wondering?"

"My mother," the prince answered with just the right amount of hesitancy and politeness. "Why did she ever pass to the Undying Lands?"

A pained look passed over the king's face, and Laine bit her lip and gave Ranien a look. This look seemed to transfer to Legolas, who grimaced as well and glanced down at his plate. However, Thranduil resumed his expressionless visage and spoke. "Your mother seems hardly like a fitting topic for conversation at supper," he reprimanded lightly, but his gaze fell on the green and silver dress on the girl and his eyes seemed to see straight through her, his eyes blank.

Laine realized that he was remembering, and cursed herself for agreeing to such a base way of getting her best friend his love. It was low, she knew. It was kicking below the belt to bring back painful memories to the king, even though she disliked him, but for Legolas and Melian, it had to be worth it.

"Some say that she was a great beauty, with a fiery temper to match," Ranien pressed on, desperate that his plan would work, but still keeping his voice light and conversational. "Lórien was her home, was it not?"

Thranduil closed his eyes, pain obviously filling his heart, and Laine nearly stopped this entire plan. However, stronger than he appeared, the king continued to eat and nodded, his blond head devoid of all expression once again. "Yes," he answered softly.

"But she was not of royal blood, Father?" the prince was already failing, seeing his father's broken heart brought back to the surface. He did not know what had happened when his mother left for the seas… he had only been an elfling at the time, but he could remember long suppers, when his parents would only stare at each other and not speak, and more evenings when his mother did not come to supper at all. His last memory was when his father had told him that he and his mother would go traveling for a few days, and then… his father had come back, but not his mother.

Thranduil had told him that his mother had gone to the Undying Lands after many nights of missing in action as sovereign. He seemed to have been too filled with grief to do much, but he picked himself up as the years passed, and Legolas never remembered anything about his mother after that. Indeed, now, his memories of his mother were hazy, as the years accumulated and those distant times grew cloudy and distorted in his mind.

His one clear memory was when she and his father had taken him on his first hunt. She had been as active as any Mirkwood warrior, and that day, she had ridden a beautiful white mare. He most clearly remembered her laughing as he made his first attempt to shoot a rabbit with his small bow. It was a pleasant laughter, without derision, just amusement and pride, as he only missed by a hairs breadth. It rang like the bells of winter, jingling and musical. As she laughed, she threw back her head so that her beautiful silver hair caught the sunlight. Her green and silver dress fluttered in the morning breeze and made her seem ethereal…

"Not of royal blood," Legolas' father's musings awoke him from his thoughts. "But royal enough at heart…"

Laine suddenly felt horribly guilty, wearing this elf's wife's dress, reminding him of his love, all so that Legolas and Melian could be together. This was too base of a way… she could not continue with it! But she had to, she realized, and gritted her teeth and did not say anything.

"Father," the prince decided to plough through with the plan since they had already gotten this far. There was nothing else to do, unless he wanted to let everyone down. "I… I have a wish to marry."

At these words, King Thranduil's eyes brightened, and all thoughts of his lost queen seemed to fly from his brow. "Marry?" he gained that amused look that was so familiar to his features. "Yes, you are quite the age. Who?"

The prince took a deep breath. "Perhaps you should meet her first, Father."

The king chuckled, all sorrow from before forgotten. "Are you afraid that I will disapprove if you first speak to me of her?" he asked. "Come, my son, if you are ashamed of her, why would you marry her?"

This new idea seemed to suddenly dawn on the prince. _Yes_, he thought. _How can I marry her if I am ashamed of Melian? I cannot be. I am _not_ ashamed of her. Father will understand. He must. I am not ashamed of Melian just because she is a servant girl. I should never have asked my friends to help me. This was strictly my business. _

He held his head a little higher, and Laine and Ranien exchanged a look at the prince's new-found confidence. "I am not ashamed of her, Father," he said. Ranien wanted to scream at the prince, for at this second, he knew what he was going to do. "Her name is Melian."

Ranien and Laine's mouths both dropped in horror, and the girl even let out a small gasp of, "No!" The king did not seem to notice either of them, but stared at his son.

"Melian?" his eyes narrowed at the prince's stiffened jaw. Then, with a sniff, he looked at something in the distance and did not speak for a long time. "You mean Melian, the elf that helps in the kitchen and is a hand maid to the gardeners?" His tone was flat, and no one could tell what he was thinking.

Legolas barely breathed as he nodded. "Yes, sire."

King Thranduil was silent again for a long time, focusing his eyes on something in the distance. Laine thought that her heart would burst forth from her chest, as it beat so hard she had to put a hand over it so that the elves would not give her strange looks. Then, the king's left eyebrow twitched and shot straight up.

"You may not marry Melian," he said in the same flat tone as before, his eyes still in the distance, staring down the length of the table.

Laine's hand gripped Ranien's arm under the table as she watched Legolas' squared shoulders collapse. It was not until he squirmed that she realized she had dug her nails into the elf's flesh.

"But it is not as you think," Thranduil spoke again, this time turning to his son. "I am doing this for your own good." Legolas did not seem to hear any of this, as his hands dropped from the table and folded themselves in his lap. "It is not just because she is a servant girl. Look."

All three shot their eyes in the direction of the king's nodding head and three mouths opened in separate expressions of shock, horror, and grief. Legolas gave a low moan of despair, and it was Ranien's turn to clutch the girl's arm.

Laine fainted for the first time in her life.

At the corner of the room, clearly where Thranduil had been looking at before, was the servant girl, Melian, locked in such a tight embrace with a warrior Ranien just made out to be Maedhros, that it was hard to figure out whose limbs were whose. Already drawing stares and murmurs from some of the other elves, they had their lips locked around each other's and looked as if they could not let go if their lives depended on it.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10

* * *

**

After three days of watching her best friend in a drunken stupor, Laine decided that she had had enough. She could not go on, watching Legolas drink life away just to dull the aching pain in his heart. Despite everything she and Ranien had done, he had refused to come out of his room and only spoke to order the servants to bring him more wine. Even Aragorn, who had known the elf for years, was at a loss for what to do.

With anger, hurt, and the feeling of betrayal in her heart, she stormed into Melian's room that day, ready to kill the treacherous elf-maid.

To her surprise, the door was open, as if waiting for her. Panting because she was so furious at this boldness, Laine stomped in without knocking, but pounded the wall to announce her presence. "Melian! You daughter of a whore!" she screamed in frustration.

The other barely looked up from folding a stack of clothes, but continued, with her back bent and her head turned away from the human girl. At first, she was disconcerted that Melian was showing no emotion at all, but decided that she might as well vent her anger, even if it meant screaming at a blank wall. Slamming the door behind her, Laine continued to scream. "You child of the darkness! Valar damn you. Valar damn you!"

The elf's shoulder heaved as she sighed, but she continued to fold clothes.

"Look at me!" the human cried, grabbing her shoulders. "Look at me, you ungrateful, lying, whore of an elf." She spun her around with all her might, and nearly bodily lifted her. Then, shaking her like a rag doll, she proceeded to rant every curse word that came to her mind at this treacherous elf. "Why? Why did you do this? You fooled me, you fooled Ranien, you even fooled Legolas! You think you are so smart, do you not?" The human had screamed herself into tears, but was not half finished.

"You killed him! You killed him, you know. He is not… right anymore. He is not himself. All he does all day is drink and stay in his room. You killed him! You murderer! You whore! How could you go and kiss Maedhros? How could you betray his trust? How could you betray _my_ trust?I thought you were my friend!" she paused for breath, and panted, tears streaming down her cheeks because she was hurting Melian, and it felt horrible.

It should have felt right. She should have felt right, hurting the little whore who had betrayed their friendship and her best friend's love. It should have even been right to kill her and let her never have eternal life, but hurting her in any way just made Laine feel sicker.

She let go of her shoulders and paced around the room, still bellowing at the top of her lungs, now trying to get the guilt of hurting her friend off of her shoulders as well. "He loved you!" her voice was close to a sob as all her feelings poured forth. Then, more quietly, she turned to Melian. "He _loved_ you, and you _betrayed_ him."

To her surprise, Melian was weeping as well, tear stains lining her beautiful face, and her brilliant blue eyes watery. Laine wanted to shake her again. How could she be weeping at a time like this? The girl wanted to be angry with her, but all she felt for her was a deep sorrow at the depth of her heart.

They stared at each other for a full minute, the silence pressing on.

Finally, Melian broke the silence by swallowing loudly. She must have had a lump the size of Gondor in her throat. "Do you think I do not love him?" she whispered, more tears pouring down her face. Despite all the control of elves, she was _weeping_. Laine had nothing to say to this. "Did you think I kissed Maedhros to betray him?" When the girl did not speak again, the elf closed her eyes and seemed to compose herself. "Yes, perhaps it is better if you think what you already do."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Laine said through clenched teeth. She was afraid that if she allowed any emotion in her voice, she would burst into tears again and embrace Melian out of sympathy. She did not know why this elf _deserved_ sympathy, but one look at her sad eyes and the sorrow that seemed to hang over her head, and Laine could feel no anger towards her.

"Are you telling me that you loved Legolas?" the human pressed on. "What was your purpose in kissing Maedhros, then? How can I believe that you did not betray him? What do you mean?"

Melian began to shed tears again. "I cannot," she shook her head. "Promise me, Laine, that I will not lose your friendship over this. You must trust me that I love Legolas and that I could not help what I did."

"No," the girl shook her head firmly. "I want to know why you did it."

The servant looked at her with pleading eyes, but she would not relent. Finally, Melian gave a mournful cry at the back of her throat. "I _love_ Legolas!" she cried, the loudest the Laine had ever heard her talk. "I had to do it! King Thranduil would never have approved of our marriage! The prince of Mirkwood deserves someone better than… than… " she nearly spat the next words, "a… _kitchen maid_." She gazed down dejectedly. "I did it so he would hate me. If he hates me, he cannot love me, and can move on to another elf. I want to see him happy."

"_Please_," Laine felt a headache coming on. "He _was_ happy with you. Why do you not just explain this to him and this will be all over?"

"Have you understood anything I just said?" Melian said sadly. "He deserves someone better. His father will not approve of a servant girl. He even said so when Legolas mentioned me."

The girl felt like she wanted to faint again, though this time, it was from exasperation. "What if he does not _want_ someone better?"

Melian shook her head. "It is too late now," she gave a rueful smile. "He will move on. But I will love him. I will always love him." The look in her eyes was enough to let the girl see through the three thousand years of her life.

And for the first time ever, Laine realized the beauty and pain of love.

**The End**

**Sequel in The Beauty of Friendship**


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